


Pink & Blue

by J_Unlimited



Series: Fire Emblem Three Houses: Collegeverse [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: AU, Collegeverse, Modern AU, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28967838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Unlimited/pseuds/J_Unlimited
Summary: Freshman Year at Garreg Mach University is in full swing. It's not grades or student debt or the crushing weight of internship fairs that have Hilda in distress; it's that she's out of money. With no help from her parents or brother, Hilda enlists her roommate Marianne to get cash. The objective? To become the most fashion-forward girl in the entire school.Pink & Blue is a Hilda/Marianne Modern College AU. It forms part of the greater FE 3H Collegeverse series.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund & Hilda Valentine Goneril
Series: Fire Emblem Three Houses: Collegeverse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124696
Kudos: 2





	Pink & Blue

“There’s no way around it,” said Hilda, pacing back and forth on the frilly pink rug that took up a third of the apartment.

“No way around what, Hilda?” said Marianne. She turned away from her computer to listen to her roommate’s dilemma.

“We’re broke, Marianne! Dead broke. We’re talking zero. Zip. Nada.” After saying this, Hilda threw her phone aside and jumped to her bed. The bed made an audible ploof noise before it seemingly swallowed Hilda whole.

“I don’t think that’s necessarily true,” said Marianne. She stood up from her desk and took an awkward step closer to Hilda’s position. She reached out her hand to calm Hilda but, after thinking it further, retreated it.

“Yes it is!”

“Hilda, you and I have our tuition paid for by our parents. Your father practically owns a small city up north…”

“That’s not what I mean,” said Hilda. She pushed aside the pillow covering her eyes and stood up. Her mouth formed an upside-down V-shape. “That’s their money. Not my money.”

“If there was something you desperately needed, I’m sure he or your brother Holst would gladly lend you some…”

“No, they would not. I need money for something, and if I ask them for money they’ll want to know what for. If I tell them, they’ll just think it’s totally frivolous and unnecessary.”

“What, exactly, do you need the money for?” said Marianne.

She took a look around the room. They were in a small rectangular room, divided in half in terms of furniture but also by color; where Hilda’s side was pink and glittery, Marianne had light blue draped on her bedsheets. The only bit of character on Marianne’s side was a rather large poster of a Clydesdale horse, its luscious locks floating in the wind.

“For this,” said Hilda. She turned her phone (in a hot pink case) to Marianne. It was a picture of a designer dress. When she saw the price she did a double-take.

“It does seem a bit frivolous and unnecessary,” said Marianne, paying careful attention not to make eye-contact with Hilda.

“Ugh, whatever. If I can’t look cute and fancy, what even is the point of coming to college?”

Hilda dropped back to her bed, rummaging through her purse to see if some cash would magically appear.

“To get an education, I suppose,” said Marianne. She said it using her soft, earnest voice, and without a hint of sarcasm.

The two had been friends for over a decade, so when it came time to choose roommates, it seemed like a no-brainer. As for the college, well, Garreg Mach University was the best school in the tri-state area. It was an equally easy decision to attend the school.

“Meal passes!” said Hilda as she took out her student ID card. “If we skip meals some of our meals, the money gets returned to us. We use that to pay for our dresses.”

Hilda shot up, legs spread wide. She held up the ID card high above her.

“I, uh… I have several questions,” said Marianne, meekly raising her finger.

“Go ahead, Marianne. It’s a fool-proof plan. Poke holes all you want, but you won’t succeed. It’s bulletproof.”

“One, why am I included in this?”

“Oh, sweetie,” said Hilda. She jumped on Marianne’s lap, making the chair she sat on sag with the added weight. Hilda put her manicured hands on Marianne’s cheeks, making the latter blush. “You’re a really pretty girl. Wonderful skin, too… but your fashion sense sucks.”

“It’s what I’ve always worn,” said Marianne. She found the attack on her fashion choices a tad offensive, but there was also the pressing matter of… well, Hilda pressing her entire bodyweight on her, making breathing difficult. It was hard to choose which problem to address first.

“It was fine wearing dresses that covered all the way to your ankles when we were in elementary school. It was OK in middle school. In high school it was just plain weird. It’s like you were trying to cosplay as a nun. That’s what the boys thought, anyway.”

“They did?” said Marianne.

“College is the beginning of your true social self. You need to present your best self out there. And that means using good clothes.”

“And what about the meal vouchers? We need to eat. It’s rather important.”

“Silly Marianne. We’ll still eat. But we’ll just get our food for free to save up money.”

Marianne didn’t bother responding. She threw a suspicious glance at Hilda, conveying everything she wanted to say.

“Boys”

“W-We’re going to eat boys?” said Marianne. The shock sent her up, knocking Hilda off her.

“Ouch. No, not eat them. Have them pay for our food. By going on dates.”

Hilda outlined the plan in detail. They would skip a week’s worth of meals from the cafeteria. At the end of the week, they would get that money back into their student account, which they can then sneakily take out without their parents being none the wiser. To cover these meals, Hilda and Marianne would go on double dates. The dinners and leftovers should be enough to carry them through the week.

“Simple, no?” said Hilda.

“Exactly how many dates will you have us go on?” said Marianne. The plan was flimsy; this much Marianne knew from the bottom of her heart. However, she also cared deeply for Hilda, and hadn’t seen her been this motivated to do anything since… well, ever. She would offer her support any way she could.

“The way I see it, three would have us pushing it. Maybe four,” said Hilda. She was thumbing away at her phone.

“In a w-week?” said Marianne, stunned. Her face became flushed and she swore she could feel sweat forming in her armpits. “That’s a lot of boys.”

“Just the first of many, Marianne. Our first one’s tonight,” she said, holding out her phone.

“T-Tonight!?” said Marianne.

“Yeah, with some guy called Lorenz and his friend. He’s in Chemistry class”

“The date’s tonight?” said Marianne. Her lips were inexplicably dry.

“Yes. In two hours, Marianne. Get with the program.”

Hilda threw Marianne’s wardrobe doors open. There was an array of long-skirted, long-sleeved dresses. The colors had a palette ripped straight out of a newborn’s bedroom; baby blue, pink, and purple. It mad Hilda recoil back.

“Is this all you have?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” said Marianne.

“Then I’ll lend you an outfit,” said Hilda, running back to her wardrobe. With little notice, she yanked Marianne to the mirror that hung to the side of her bed.

“The great thing about fashion is that there’s no one-size-fits-all,” said Hilda as she loosened the braid on Marianne’s hair. Tufts of baby blue hair streamed to her side. “Every body shape, every skin color has something that works. And what works changes by season, time of day, setting… it’s all very dynamic.”

“That’s interesting,” said Marianne, her hairs on edge. Having Hilda literally breathing down her neck made her a little uneasy. Marianne knew Hilda had good intentions however, and that trumped any ill or uncomfortable feelings she could have.

“How willing are you to show your cleavage?”

Up to a point.

“N-Not very! Not very willing at all,” said Marianne, face flustered.

“Just kidding, Marianne. I know you better than that.” Hilda reached her hand into her wardrobe and pulled out a dress that looked just long enough to end between the knee and ankle. “It’s a midi dress. Sky blue with blue heron floral print, which I think suits you great.”

Marianne took it in her hands. Two things about it caught her attention: flutter sleeves that sat over the shoulder and a pretty sash tying the dress together. The V-neck made her a little weary but it wasn’t long enough to show off more skin that she would be comfortable with; Marianne doubted Hilda had anything more conservative than this in her repertoire.

“Isn’t it neat? It’s tea-length too, which is perfect for a girl like you. It’s a fun, flirty dress that says ‘I’m fun and cool’ without being a manic pixie dream girl. Because barf.”

“It’s perfect, Hilda. Thank you very much,” said Marianne, still admiring the cotton garment. “What will you wear?”

“I was thinking about this one,” said Hilda. She pulled out a mini dress with a heavy emphasis on the “mini”. It made Marianne yelp in surprise and jump back.

“You can’t wear that, Hilda! It’s indecent. It’s inappropriate. It’s…”

“Totally not what I’ll wear, sweetie,” said Hilda, putting the dress back. “It was worth it to see your reaction, though.”

The sunny afternoon gave way to night. In the span of a few hours, Hilda had given Marianne a rundown on makeup and date etiquette. As they approached the restaurant, Hilda put a hand on her friend’s shoulders. The outline of two boys could be seen dawdling in front of the restaurant’s doors.

“Remember what we’re here for, Marianne. Our primary objective is to stuff our faces and have leftovers.”

“Right,” said Marianne, balling her right hand into a fist. She knew Hilda’s goal was silly. That didn’t stop Marianne from wanting to participate and have a little fun. After all, if not for this date, she would have spent the Saturday afternoon browsing the internet.

“Ladies, hello,” said a tall, purple-haired boy. He gave a short bow when the two girls approached them. The second boy, much shorter and sporting large circular glasses, followed his lead.

“Lorenz, why don’t you introduce yourself and your friend?” said Hilda.

“Certainly. I am Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. This here is my friend, Ignatz. His last name is not important.”

“That’s a little much, isn’t it?” said Ignatz.

“I’m Hilda, and this is my friend Marianne. Isn’t she cute, Ignatz? Tell her how cute she is,” said Hilda.

“Uh, certainly! Cute. You’re very cute, Marianne. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Ignatz. He spoke in rushed sentences, almost tripping over his own words.

“Thank you, Ignatz. It’s nice to meet you,” said Marianne.

Ignatz held the door open for them. After they streamed inside, Lorenz winked at the girls.

“Wait here. I’ll get us the best table in the house.”

“This is a fancy place,” said Marianne. The restaurant was dark, with candles providing much of the light used to illuminate the square tables. “What is it?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” said Hilda. She pointed to a waiter dropping plates off at a table. She brought two steaks, each bigger than Marianne’s face. A second waiter brought in an assortment of side dishes, enough to fill up the table.

“It’s huge,” said Marianne, her mouth ajar.

“Exactly. I wanted a buffet but Lorenz over there wanted something fancier. So we compromised.”

“I heard my name,” said Lorenz as he came back from talking with the hostess. “Although there is more than enough of me for the two of you, I implore you ladies to also pay attention to my friend here Ignatz.

“This was a mistake,” said Ignatz, putting his hand to his temple.

The hostess brought them to a table in a secluded corner of the restaurant. A jazz band played live on a stage not far from them.

“Isn’t it lovely?” said Lorenz.

“It is. Thank you for having us here,” said Marianne. Hilda and Marianne were seated on one side. Opposite Hilda was Lorenz and next to him was Ignatz.

After their menus were brought in, Ignatz was the first to speak.

“You both look very pretty.”

“Ignatz, please. Lift your jaw off the table. It’s uncourteous to make comments like that,” said Ignatz.

“No, please. I appreciate it very much,” said Marianne. Ignatz wore a suit that was a tad too big for him, possibly lent from Lorenz. She got the impression that Ignatz was very much brought along to serve Lorenz’ whims. “You’re handsome yourself.”

“What are you two ladies majoring in?” said Lorenz, his eyes scanning through the menu.

“Finance for me,” said Hilda. “My brother picked it out for me.”

“I’m pre-vet,” said Marianne sheepishly.

“I’m doing Finance myself too,” said Ignatz. “Do you want to become a veterinarian one day, Marianne? I can’t imagine how hard it must be.”

“It’s only my first semester, so it’s not particularly hard yet. We’re still in general pre-req classes,” she said. Talking about herself made Marianne uneasy.

“I don’t know why anyone would want to get their hands dirty like that when you can pay someone else to do it. That’s why I’m majoring in business with a concentration in global management; to make money.”

Ignatz and Marianne looked down at their empty plates, hoping to ride the awkward moment out. Hilda spoke out.

“That’s just your opinion, Lorenz. Marianne is passionate about animals, and passion is the most attractive quality someone can have.”

“Interesting insight. I suppose you’re right. Either of you ladies care for wine?”

“We’re not old--” started Marianne, but Hilda putting her hand on top of Marianne’s put a stop to the sentence.

“My preference is for rosé,” said Hilda.

“Then the lady shall receive rosé,” said Lorenz with a smirk.

It didn’t take long for the waiter to take their drink order and serve the wine. When they next appeared, Hilda was ready to recite her order, glass in hand.

“It’ll be a light day for me. I’ll have the colossal crab meat cocktail and baked escargot for the appetizer. For entrée, I’ll have the 24 ounce prime porterhouse. Add in sautéed spinach, jumbo asparagus, truffle fries, and the lobster mac & cheese.”

The waiter took a second to acknowledge the order.

“R-Right. Are you ordering for the table or…”

“Just for me, thank you very much. Have the steak be medium, please,” said Hilda.

Marianne was terrified. From her perspective, that was too much food for even the four of them to eat. It was at this moment that she understood Hilda’s true power. It wasn’t her freakish strength or keen eye for fashion; no, it was that she had no shame.

Now the waiter and those seated at the table looked at her with expectant eyes. Would Marianne follow suit? Or would she let her embarrassment bring this weird experiment to an end?

“I’ll have the caprese salad…” said Marianne in a low voice.

“Excuse me? I couldn’t hear miss, sorry,” said the waiter.

“She said she would have the caprese salad and the prosciutto wrapped mozzarella for an appetizer,” said Hilda.

“Is that all, miss?” said the waiter.

Hilda had afforded Marianne a moment. It was enough for Marianne to swallow her pride and follow through. To not follow Hilda’s lead would be tantamount to treason for their friendship. It was her duty--nay, her obligation--to order as much food as she possibly could. For the friendship of Hilda and Marianne.

“No. I’d also like the cajun ribeye, creamed spinach, jumbo crab cakes, and smoked gouda potatoes. Then bring me the Ōra King Salmon, please.”

“C-certainly, miss,” said the waiter. For the ribeye, what size would you prefer?”

Marianne took a second to acknowledge the denizens of the table. Lorenz and Ignatz both sported a terrified expression, with Lorenz’ being of the disgusted variety and Ignatz’ leaning more on the surprised side. Hilda, meanwhile, grinned ear to ear. A master proud of her pupil.

“The biggest one you have, please,” said Marianne. She closed the menu. The ends of the heavy menu coming together brought both Lorenz and Ignatz out of their stupor.

“And for you?” said the waiter, turning to Lorenz.

“I’ll have a salad and the 8 ounce steak, please,” said Lorenz.

“Same for me,” said Ignatz.

“What kind of salad will it be, sirs?”

“Does it even matter?” said Lorenz, shaking his head.

“Very well,” said the waiter. They took the menus and disappeared into the inner part of the dark restaurant.

“You two have quite the appetite,” said Lorenz. His hand went to the rose pinned to his chest pocket. He rubbed one of the petals so hard it broke apart.

“That’s not a very nice thing to say to a lady,” said Hilda, crossing her arms. “For your information, we exercise. A lot. This is a light day for us. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s… right,” said Marianne, her eyes wide. Now Hilda had her lying. It was a slippery slope.

“Ah well, that’s magnificent. Someone who takes care of their body as well as their mind is certainly worthy of my time and energy. What say you two girls join me and Ignatz at the gym? We go every day,” said Lorenz.

“We’ve never been to--ugh,” said Ignatz, grunting when Lorenz jabbed his elbow into Ignatz’ side. “We go every day, yes.”

An awkward silence landed on the table. Marianne, as observant as she was, couldn’t help but compare this whole arrangement to a comedy routine. It was all lies and one party trying to out-ridiculous the other. In other words, as far from her scene as possible.

“Midterms are almost here,” said Ignatz. “Our first midterms in our freshman year.”

“Let’s toast to that, Ignatz!” said Hilda.

“To a successful midterm season,” said Lorenz, raising his glass. The four of them brought their glasses together and drank.

“What extracurriculars are you involved in?” said Ignatz, settling into his role as conversation-starter.

“Unfortunately, I’m part of the lazy-as-hell club so you can just skip me for this one,” said Hilda, grabbing another sip of her rosé. “Marianne’s the more interesting one.”

“Do tell, Marianne. What kind of club does a studious girl like you spend her time in?” said Lorenz.

“Association of Future Veterinarians,” she said shyly. When all eyes were on Marianne, she had a tendency to become uber-self-conscious.

“What do you do there?” said Ignatz. Marianne could tell that the question came from a place of genuine interest.

“We volunteer at shelters and veterinarian offices. The upperclassmen are also helpful in helping underclassmen pick the right classes and the right professors. They also have a mailing list where they send us internship opportunities and… I’m boring you, aren’t I?”

“Not at all,” said Ignatz. “In fact, it sounds a lot like the Golden Deer, doesn’t it, Lorenz?”

“The… what?” said Marianne. She swore she misheard Ignatz. Was it a british-style pub? It sounded like one.

“It’s the co-ed fraternity we’re in,” said Lorenz. “It’s a gathering of the most elite students Garreg Mach has to offer.”

“It’s not as fancy as Lorenz makes it sound, I promise,” said Ignatz. “We’re friendly and easygoing, and that’s my favorite part. We’re also all inexplicably from the north-east of here.”

“That’s funny. We’re north-easterners too,” said Hilda. Her stomach rumbled. “Where is our damn food?”

“That pink hair… tell me, are you part of the Goneril clan?” said Lorenz. The way he stared intently at Hilda’s face prompted her to throw him a disgusted frown.

“I wouldn’t call us a clan, but yes.”

“Ah, splendid. I knew you were a lady of high pedigree! How is Holst doing these days?”

“You know him?” said Hilda, eyebrows raised.

“No… I know of him. Surely he knows of me as well. We Gloucesters are quite a popular bunch.”

With neither Hilda, nor Marianne or Ignatz willing to follow that line of conversation, the table receded back to silence. Thankfully the jazz band was playing what many would consider their best track of the night. It offered smooth, easy listening--and an escape from the awkwardness.

Their waiter dropped the appetizers just in time. Hilda and Marianne delved into their plates, making sure to pace themselves. Not five minutes in, though, did Marianne have a startling realization: she was already full.

“I… think I’ll save the rest of this for later,” said Marianne, lightly pushing the prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella to the side. Hilda too was in a battle with herself, as both her crab meat cocktail and baked escargot were only a quarter of the way done.

Then came the rest of the waiting staff. One by one they came in, dropping two or three plates a piece. When the last waiter had left, it became clear to Marianne that they really had bitten off more than they could chew. Hilda and Marianne had ordered so many things that their plates encroached on Lorenz and Ignatz’ side, forcing them to keep their steak plate halfway to their lap.

“This is a lot of food,” said Hilda. Marianne noticed that her eyes bulged as she said this. She, too, had come to the same conclusion.

“You said you exercise a lot, so I assume you must be very hungry. Feel free to eat as much as you’d like,” said Lorenz.

“R-Right,” said Hilda. She turned to look at Marianne, giving her a look that said “we messed up”, then went to work on the porterhouse.

“This is actually a lot of food,” said Hilda, sweat dripping from her temple. “Wouldn’t you say, Marianne?”  
“I would say that, yes…”

“You don’t have to eat it all if you don’t want to,” said Ignatz. “What good is a meal if you just force yourself to finish it? You can have leftovers later.”

“Y-You know what, Marianne? I think we’ll do just that,” said Hilda. Salvation came from the unlikeliest of places.

“Don’t say that, Ignatz. The Gonerils are a smart bunch. I’m sure that Hilda here has a personal trainer that oversees her diet. If the fact that she ordered a lot of food strike you as odd, it’s only because you don’t have access to the same high-quality exercise regime that she does.”

Hilda nearly impaled Lorenz with a fork right then and there.

“Marianne,” said Hilda, grazing her hand to get her attention. “Ladies room. Join me.”

“Uh, yes. Excuse us,” said Marianne. As soon as she got up, Hilda grabbed hold of her hand and brought her into the bathroom. Marianne was pulled so hard and fast that she wasn’t even sure Hilda had brought them to the women’s restroom.

“We’re screwed,” said Hilda. “Lorenz has his head so far up his damn ass that he won’t let us go.”

“In retrospect, trying to save up money for dresses by going on dates instead of eating at the cafeteria isn’t the wisest of plans.”

It was only then that Marianne realized that this did not look like other women’s bathrooms. She tugged on Hilda’s dress, trying to grab her attention. The pink-haired one, however, was lost in thought, thumb to her chin, as she hashed out a plan.

“There’s no way around this. We have to escape. Run away. But to get through the front door, we’d walk in front of the two of them. Unless… the bathroom window!”

She pointed to the window at the upper end of the wall, next to the stall doors. Hilda rushed for it, trying to reach up with her hand.

“Pull me up, Marianne. I promise I’ll come get help.”

“Hilda, stop!”

“There’s no time, Marianne! We have to act decisively! Now give me a lift!”

“This is the men’s restroom!” said Marianne, holding her fists to the side of her waist.

“Huh? I guess you’re right,” said Hilda.

“I think that’s enough of that, ladies.”

From one of the stalls emerged a young man with sleek brown hair. He wore jeans, a sweatshirt, and smelled oddly of dish soap.

“We’re so sorry,” cried out Marianne. She dropped to her knees and wanted nothing more than to disappear. The embarrassment was too great for her heart to handle.

“Marianne, get up,” said Hilda. She grabbed hold of Marianne’s arm and lifted her up.

“But the bus boy will report us. We’ll get kicked out,” said Marianne.

“That’s not just any bus boy. That’s Claude von Riegan, heir to the Riegan family.”

“The pleasure is all mine, ladies,” he said, bowing his head. “I think both of you owe my pledge brothers an apology.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is the first chapter in the first work for my FE3H Collegeverse series. This specific title will focus on Hilda and Marianne's adventures in the Collegeverse universe. As this one comes along, other characters will have their own titles that will intersect. Think of it like the movies The Holiday or Love Actually, where ensemble casts have their own stories, meeting up later.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


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